Challenges and Opportunities for the World's Forests in the 21st Century

This book tackles the enormously important and complex issues facing the world’s forests today, posed by climate change, conservation objectives, sustainable development needs, and the growing demand for affordable energy, along with analyses of the difficulties and opportunities that these present

Contains contributions from numerous internationally recognised experts in these fields

These articles are explicitly intended to be accessible to a wide range of users from diverse disciplines and backgrounds, who may need to gain a rapid understanding of the key issues and opportunities facing the world’s forests over the coming century, as well as for the rich contribution that forests themselves can make for dealing with these issues

About this book

Challenges and Opportunities for the World's Forests in the 21st Century addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by the world's forests posed by climate change, conservation objectives, and sustainable development needs including bioenergy, outlining the research and other efforts that are needed to understand these issues, along with the options and difficulties for dealing with them. It contains sections on sustainable forestry & conservation; forest resources worldwide; forests, forestry and climate change; the economics of forestry; tree breeding & commercial forestry; biotechnological approaches; genomic studies with forest trees; bio-energy, lignin & wood; and forest science, including ecological studies. The chapters are contributed by prominent organisations or individuals with an established record of achievement in these areas, and present their ideas on these topics with the aim of providing a ready source of information and guidance on these topics for politicians, policy makers and scientists for many years to come.

PART 8. Bio-energy, lignin and wood27. Willows as a source of renewable fuels and diverse products; Angela Karp28. Woodfuel production in the UK - unlocking the existing resource and growing for the future; Ian Tubby29. Bioenergy opportunities from forests in New Zealand; Peter Hall & Michael Jack30. Creating the wood supply of the future; Barry Gardiner & John Moore